Study: Young women earn 29% less than men their age in the tech industry

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Dive Brief:

Comparably, a salary database, just released a study on gender pay gaps in the tech industry, says Fortune, which shows the gap is largest for young women. Women under 25 earned on average 29% less than men in the same age group. The gap drops to 5% for women and men over 50.

Comparably’s study results are nearly the same as those in a Glassdoor survey last November. Fortune says that survey found a 30% gap in pay between women and their male counterparts.

NPR’s Planet Money argued in 2014 that the decline in women graduates with computer science degrees – from 37% 30 years ago to 14% in 2013 – stemmed from heavy mid-80s marketing of computers to boys, but not girls.

Dive Insight:

The differential exists in other industries, but tech is particularly egregious due to the prestige and pay the industry grants — and how white and male the industry remains. Many of the larger tech companies have made announcements regarding new efforts to better include people from all backgrounds, and they have met with various levels of success.

This study is just another example of the obstacles that young women face in the workplace in particular. Employers can help bridge the gap by seriously examining their pay protocols, including how and why they assign certain salaries to certain employees.